1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer security. More particularly, the present invention involves a system for transparently enhancing secure access to a network node by validating a user's identity using biometric data, wherein biometric authentication occurs on a biometric authentication server and the network node to which access is sought initiates the biometric authentication process.
2. Description of Prior Art
Providing secure Internet transactions has become increasingly important as use of the Internet for business, financial, and other sensitive transactions has become ubiquitous. Traditionally, network servers hosted by businesses have been programmed to require a user to submit identification information, such as a user name and a password, before allowing the user to access files managed by the server.
Use of such identification information renders the server susceptible to access by unauthorized users who obtain a valid user's identification information by, for example, intercepting network communications. Requiring a user's biometric data, such as a fingerprint, before granting the user access is known in the art and benefits from the added measure of security inherent in biometric authentication systems. For example, fingerprint data and other biometric data cannot be “stolen” as easily as a user name and password, and, even if stolen, cannot be used to circumvent security if the system requires the user to submit fresh biometric data via a biometric sensor.
While use of biometric data increases the security of computer networks, it also requires special hardware and software to implement. For example, fingerprint-based biometric authentication requires use of a fingerprint scanner, driver software for the scanner, and software for authenticating fingerprint data received via the fingerprint scanner. Authenticating the fingerprint data may include, for example, comparing the data with fingerprint data stored in a database to determine whether the received data matches the stored data. Thus, implementing a biometric authentication system can require significant hardware and software resources that, in some circumstances, render it impractical or even impossible to implement.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved network security system that does not suffer from the problems and limitations of the prior art.